When you think about FEMA administrators who have “cashed in,” it’s likely no one can compete with Joe Allbaugh, who went on to make millions by peddling his influence: “Joe Allbaugh, Disaster Pimp.” He worked for Haliburton, which really made some money from the move to civilianize the military response to the Middle East wars: “Former Halliburton Subsidiary Received $39.5 Billion In Iraq-Related Contracts Over The Past Decade.”
I only met Allbaugh once, but thought he was kind of a jerk. Which goes to show it is not what you know or what your personality is, but who you know. In Washington, D.C., it is the cult of networking and relationships. Someone relayed the story to me that at Christmastime there are parties galore — so you have to pick and choose which to attend. When Allbaugh had his at his home, the then-vice president and secretary of state were in attendance. Ta da!
Which brings us to our last “former FEMA leader“ and someone who is the exact opposite of Joe Allbaugh personality wise.
Pete Gaynor has found a new work-from-home gig: “Former FEMA Administrator Joins The LiRo Group to Drive Consulting Segment for Homeland Security and Emergency Management.”
The LiRo Group is not one I’ve heard of before this writing. It sounds like they are New York-based and looking to expand nationally. This is where a former FEMA administrator with good national connections with state and large local emergency management officials can come in handy. They also generally serve as subject matter experts (SME) on projects.
Claire Rubin, senior researcher, shared the link on Pete Gaynor above.